THE QUEEN OF SPADES

Year: 1949
UK: Optimum Releasing
Cast: Anton Walbrook, Edith Evans, Yvonne Mitchell, Ronald Howard, Mary Jerrold, Anthony Dawson, Miles Malleson, Michael Medwin, Athene Seyler, Ivor Barnard, Vioiletta Elvin, Valentine Dyall
Director: Thorold Dickinson
Country: UK
UK: 92 mins
UK Certificate: PG contains mild scary scenes and smoking scenes
UK Release Date: 26 December 2009 (Limited Re-release)
UK DVD Release Date: 18 January 2010
UK Distributor

Synopsis

A special digital re-issue of Thorold Dickinson's classic supernatural drama THE QUEEN OF SPADES, not seen in British cinemas since its original release in 1949, and also available in 2010 for the first time on DVD (alongside Dickinson classics: SECRET PEOPLE & HIGH COMMAND).

THE QUEEN OF SPADES is truly a lost gem of British cinema from much admired director Thorold Dickinson (GASLIGHT). The film will open on Boxing Day at key London sites as well as regional art-houses across the country, in association with the ICO.

It is 1806, Imperial Russia, and St Petersburg is in the grip of gambling fever. No card strikes more fear in to the hearts of the soldiers than the evil Queen of Spades. Captain Herman Suvorin (Anton Walbrook) is a lowly German engineer: an outsider obsessed with making his fortune whose peculiar manner isolates him from the revelries of the other bawdy soldiers. He is intrigued, though, by soldiers' gossip that tells of the legend of an ancient Countess (Dame Edith Evans), who supposedly sold her soul to the devil years before in exchange for the secret of success at the card game de jour: Faro.

Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese is one of the film's most vociferous supporters and he has kindly recording a brief introduction to the film that will be seen by audiences before each screening of the film during its theatrical run.